YANKEE NOTESHaving guessed wrong once about Joe Torre’s return to the Yankees, Don Zimmer is finished making predictions about when he will hand the lineup card to Torre and go have repairs made on his balky right knee. “Not really, but it’s gettinga little closer,” Zimmer said when asked if Torre told him when he will put No. 6 on his back and manage the World Champions. “But not a real date.”

Two weeks ago this coming Friday, Torre was asked if he could target a date. His reply was, “Ask me in two weeks.” And while Torre could return during the series against the White Sox, it’s a stronger possibility Torre will resume his job when the Yankees open a three-game series in Boston Tuesday night.

Asked if he were going to make the next road trip, Zimmer said, “It’s all according to what he [Torre] is going to do. The only thing I asked him was to give me a day in advance [notice] when he’s coming back.”

Giving Zimmer hope is that Torre’s strength level is up from last week.

“I don’t want to speculate because we have all speculated from Day 1,” Zimmer said. “But he says he is getting stronger. So if he is getting stronger, he is getting closer.” *According to misinformation from the Florida state’s attorney’s office, Darryl Strawberry’s arraignment date was reported to be May 25 in Monday’s Post. The date is May 26. At that time, Strawberry, according to his lawyer, will plead not guilty and then be assigned a trial date. *Jeff Nelson played catch for the first time since going on the DL with an inflamed right elbow last Monday and reported no problems. That’s a completely different feeling Nelson experienced when the problem forced him to the shelf in Kansas City.

“Coming home, I thought for sure I was going to have surgery,” said Nelson, who had chips removed from the elbow following the 1996 season. “I thought I had chips again.”

After taking multiple tests combined with yesterday’s session, Nelson is confident he will be able to come off the DL Tuesday in Boston. When he does, Nelson won’t be throwing the cut fastball that caused his elbow to blow up.

“I threw it all through spring training and felt something but it never swelled and I never had pain,” said Nelson, who refused to identify who suggested he add the cutter to his arsenal which is highlighted by a sweeping slider. *Zimmer insists he isn’t sending any message to the front office by not playing third-string catcher Mike Figga, the only major league player on an Opening Day roster who hasn’t made an appearance in a game yet.

“I don’t send messages,” said Zimmer, the good soldier who won’t admit carrying Figga – who isout of options – makes him manage short-handed. “I do what I want and what I think is right for the ball club.”

Asked if there was a need for Figga, Zimmer replied, “Have we ever had three catchers here in four years? There isn’t much I can say about a third-string catcher who hasn’t been in the game. I am not going to say anything bad about Figga. He is in a bad spot.

“Can he hit big league pitching? I don’t know. Is he a big league catcher? I don’t know. Why don’t I know? Because I have never seen him hit or catch in the big leagues. “